wells



' G. M. WELLS.

Last.

No. 223,263. Patented Jan. 6,1880.

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UNTTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. WELLS, OF BOSTON, MASSAOHUSET'IJS.

LAST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No;4 223,263, datedJatnuary 6, 1880.

Application tiled March 23, 1878.

To all whom fit may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE M, WELLS, now of Boston, in the county of Sutolk and State of Massachusetts, (formerly of Chicago, Illinois,) have invented an Improved Last, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part hereof', in which- Figure 1 is a side view ot' one ot" my inlproved lasts; Fig. 2, a bottom view; Fig. 3, a crosssection on line z z of Fig. l; and Fig. 4, a cross-section on line y y of Fig. 1.

The object ot' my invention is to make a last which can be supported with great rmness and solidity by means of a stem projecting from the last and a socket formed in a block or standard attached to a bench or other sup port, or formed inthe so-called jack 7 of a pegging or nailing machine, the purpose being to make the last substantially rigid under the blow of a hand-hammer or ot' the driver of the machine, to facilitate the placing ot the last in position for use and its removal all that is required heilig to put its stem in and take it out. ot' the socket, and yet retain the block ot' the last substantially unaltered.

The common way ofsupporting lasts, whether for hand or machine work, is by means of a toe-rest and a heel-pin, the pin entering a hole bored in the last, and suitable. mechanism being required to move either the rest or pin in older to get any approach to rmness. This is the old method, and the only one largely used for holding lasts in pegging and nailing machines and for hand-work on the sole.

Lasts are also frequently clamped in heeling-machines and other machines, one member ot' the clamp bearing against the top-lift of the heel, while the other member bears directly -against the upper ankle part ot' the last. An example is shown in the patent to Hart, No. 178,633, dated June 13, 1876.

I have also patented lasts provided with stems for support-ing them rigidly under the blow ot' a hand-hammer or machine driver; but in one instance (see my Patent No. 74,150, dated February 4, 18625) the block of the last was altered by having the supporting-stein made a part ot' it, while in the other (see my Patent No. 216,491, dated June 10, 1879) the body of the last was altered bythe use of a heel-block.

In my present invention the block of the last is not altered necessarily, nor is there any heel-block required 5 but the stem `is secured directly to the upper ankle part ot' the last,

and so far back or over the heel that it does not interfere with the necessary motions ot' the block, as will be well understood by all skilled in the art on inspection of the drawings, in which- A represents the body of the last; B, the stem, and C the block. For greater strength the body A and stem B are best made ot' metal, and in one piece. I doubt, indeed, whether they would ,be of any practical value if made ot' one piece ot' wood,`and have no doubt that they would be worthless if made in separate pieces, both of wood, although they might be made ot' two pieces ot' metal tirmly put together.

The block U, for lightness, is best made of wood, as usual, but may, of course, be of metal. The stem B must be well back over the heel, and so shaped that it will not prevent the pulling of the last-that is, will not obstruct the passage of the block when it is pulled out of the shoe or boot-for, as will be clear, this last is worthless unless the block C can be pulled out of the shoe formed over it; and this is done with my last as in lasts ot' the usual form.

My invention consists in this improved last, made up ot' the body A, stem B, and block C, the stein projecting t'rom the upper ankle part of the body A, which is, except for the addition of this stem, ther same in substance as the body of the common last, the block C being the same in substance as the block of the common last, and operated in the saine way, so

that my last can be used readily by workmen accustomed to the common last, and the body A and stem B being arranged so that the stem will project from that part ofthe last over the heel, and will not be in the way of the block O as it is pulled out ofthe boot or shoe4 Two or more plugs of wood are shown iu Fig. 2, and one of them is shown in crosssection in Fig. These are to receiye the nails by which the sole is held to the last, as will be understood.

IOO

The rib o is highly useful, not only because it may serve to direct the block and hold it. in place by means of al corresponding groove in the block, but also because with suoh a rib 5 the body A can be made light and yet strong at lhejnnetion of' B sind A, and Well adapted to beat the strain when the Worknmn oi' the machine is nailing o1` pegging about, the toe.

What I claim as my invention is 1o The improved last made np of the body A,

stem B, and instep-block C, the body and stem being firmly connected together, and arranged to prevent the stem from obstructing the proper motion of the bloei; C on the body A, as and for the purposes described.

GEORGE M. VELLS.

Witnesses F. F. WARNER, JAMES H. GoYNE. 

